Locomotive lift

Welllll.......

The above is obviously just a demonstration for effect (you'll notice that the elevator tracks "hook up" to the shelf tracks via creative editing.

Here's a playlist from a UK N-scaler who built an elevator to access a below-table yard: Train Lift/ Lower Level Fiddle Yard

Or, a compilation of various vertical yards and train elevators: The video is in German, but English captions are provided, so turn on the closed captions.

---PCJ

Train elevators are not prototypical. I assume some rare cases exist. Use the best, easiest, and easiest solution:

The Five Finger switcher.

@gftiv posted:

...The Five Finger switcher.

Also called an 0-5-0. 

@Rich Melvin posted:

Also called an 0-5-0. 

might need to double head that for a Big Boy.

Shades of pizza ovens and automated tool storage cabinets.

How about building your turntable on top of something like this?

Then you can lift the turn table bridge and line it up with the second level.

I plan to eventually do something like this.

If you can find "Model Railroad Planning 2001" (Kalmbach), there is an article about such an elevator; it goes into some detail, with drawings. The author dubbed it the "helix killer". Twenty years later, helices are alive and well...

@jhz563 posted:

How about building your turntable on top of something like this?

Then you can lift the turn table bridge and line it up with the second level.

I plan to eventually do something like this.

I have a 34” Mill house TT already installed and it’s massive!! .. I’m leaning towards the scissor lift it will be easy and Fabricating is my thing it’s nothing to bend up a under table support.. I’ll be sure to post pics of it before during and after

@Snkbittin posted:

I have a 34” Mill house TT already installed and it’s massive!! .. I’m leaning towards the scissor lift it will be easy and Fabricating is my thing it’s nothing to bend up a under table support.. I’ll be sure to post pics of it before during and after

That makes sense to me.  If I had invested in a MillHouse TT I wouldn't want to mess it up either.  If you are only looking lift a locomotive I would not rule out linear actuators, perhaps a pair.  They are extremely repeatable for position, which is a plus.  If you have a small scissors jack already that makes sense too.  I look forward to seeing what you come up with.